Meng Ziping had already prepared an excuse in his mind, but under the gaze of those eyes, he forgot everything completely.
His face began to flush red, and he stammered, unable to say a word for a long time.
Hao Yajie had liked Meng Ziping for so long—how could she not understand his current state?
That vixen Lin Qiqi—her own family was already in such a mess, yet she still had the mind to seduce Meng Ziping.
The smile at the corner of her lips could no longer be maintained. The hand gripping Meng Ziping’s arm tightened more and more.
Feeling the pain in his upper arm, Meng Ziping finally snapped back to his senses.
“Ziping, Qiqi is asking you something. Why aren’t you answering?”
Hao Yajie also wanted to know just how much Lin Qiqi still meant to Meng Ziping.
Meng Ziping didn’t answer Lin Qiqi, nor did he answer Hao Yajie.
He pulled Hao Yajie’s hand off his arm, lowered his head, avoided Lin Qiqi’s gaze, and fell silent.
The sharp, instinctive ache in Lin Qiqi’s chest stopped instantly.
There was no answer.
He didn’t even dare to acknowledge the past between himself and the original host.
At that moment, the original host’s obsession with Meng Ziping completely dissipated.
It was good to let go.
This man was not only a scumbag, but also a coward.
He wasn’t worth any attachment at all.
If she still had medicine today, Lin Qiqi would have splashed the chamber pot at him again.
What a pity—she had poured it out too early.
Meng Ziping’s attitude had clearly hurt Hao Yajie as well.
Her square face clenched tightly with gritted teeth, looking even more rigid.
But in the end, she didn’t do anything extreme.
After her chest heaved a few times, Hao Yajie forced out an ugly smile and smoothed things over herself. “What else could it be? Classmates. Aren’t the three of us all classmates?”
“Classmates?” Lin Qiqi looked at the silent Meng Ziping and raised a bright smile.
That smile was dazzling enough to make Meng Ziping want to reach out and hold her hand.
But his hand had only lifted slightly before stopping because of her words.
“Then what you brought today is a bit too little.”
“Meng Ziping, over the years, how many meals have you eaten at my house?”
“When you couldn’t afford tuition, it was my mother who paid for you. Until now, you haven’t repaid a single cent. Those IOUs you wrote are still in our drawer.”
“After my mother had her accident, all the neighbors—even those who only knew us by sight—helped a little. But you never came even once.”
“Since we’re just classmates, now that my family is in trouble, I won’t expect you to repay kindness tenfold. But the things you ate before and the tuition we paid for you—you should at least pay those back.”
“You think bringing a bit of fruit candy and some eggs is enough to brush us off?”
How could she say all this in front of everyone?!
Meng Ziping suddenly raised his head, staring at Lin Qiqi in disbelief.
He wanted to refute her, but realizing that almost everyone around already knew about the past, he couldn’t speak.
With a mixture of pain and expectation on his face, Meng Ziping said softly, “Qiqi, you know my family’s situation. Just wait a little longer. Once I get into university and can earn money, I’ll definitely repay you.”
Both his words and his expression had been carefully prepared.
Lin Qiqi had always been soft-hearted toward him. Every time he put on this expression, she would compromise.
But this time, Lin Qiqi’s gaze fell on his wrist, and she threw his words back at him.
“Meng Ziping, you know my family’s situation. Why wait? Sell the watch on your wrist. I won’t take a single cent more than what you owe—just pay me what’s due.”
“Once you repay me, I can also return the money I recently borrowed from the neighbors.”
If she had only spoken about herself, people would just watch for entertainment. But once repayment was mentioned, the neighbors present became agitated.
They had all lent Jiang Yunling some money for medical expenses, and naturally hoped the Lin family could repay it soon.
“That’s right! I see that watch of yours looks brand new. It could probably sell for over 200. Are you afraid you can’t repay what you owe?”
“You have money to buy a new watch but no money to repay debts… like father, like son.”
“What’s the use of getting into university? With that kind of character, you won’t amount to anything.”
Meng Ziping was both insecure and prideful.
Hearing these voices around him, it felt as though his “top student” facade had been torn away, leaving him once again that neglected wild child.
Thinking of the cold stares and whispers behind his back when he was young, he actually began to consider just giving the watch to Lin Qiqi.
His fingers rested on the clasp as he gently rubbed it, reluctant, but ready to take it off.
At that moment, Hao Yajie suddenly erupted.
She grabbed Meng Ziping’s hand, her eyes red as she demanded, “Ziping, are you really planning to sell the watch?”
“This is my engagement gift to you!”
Under her questioning, Meng Ziping resorted to his usual tactic—avoiding eye contact, lowering his head, and remaining silent.
Unable to get a response, Hao Yajie unwillingly turned her anger toward Lin Qiqi.
“Lin Qiqi, tell me—are you just jealous that Ziping is wearing the watch I gave him, so you’re forcing him to sell it?”
“You like Ziping, but he’s engaged to me. You must hate it, right?”
“Trying to seduce him—what do you even have besides that seductive face?”
“Oh right—you also have that crippled mother!”
“You want Ziping to marry you? Dream on!”
“Unless your crippled mother dies, who would ever want you!”
Those words were far too vicious—like stabbing directly into someone’s wounds.
Lin Qiqi clenched her fists in anger, about to retort, but the neighbors who couldn’t stand it spoke up first.
“What’s wrong with that girl from the Hao family? How can she be so vicious?”
“Exactly! That’s too harsh!”
“Harsh?” Hao Yajie sneered. “Then let your son marry her.”
“Would you be willing?”
She turned to another neighbor. “What about you? Would you?”
The crowd fell silent.
With Lin Qiqi’s burden of a mother, any family would be dragged down—who would be willing?
In an instant, the target of everyone’s pointing and whispering shifted from Meng Ziping and Hao Yajie to Lin Qiqi.
Not far from the crowd in the alley, Aunt Zhang was hurrying over with a tall young man.
They had met at the alley entrance, and Aunt Zhang immediately recognized his smoky blue eyes.
“Oh! Comrade, we meet again. Are you here on business?”
The man’s voice was still pleasant, though he seemed thinner than the last time they met.
“Not on business. I came to find you.” He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Aunt Zhang. “This is the one I dropped last time. It’s been washed—please help me return it.”
“Oh my, since you’re already here, come sit in the courtyard.”
“That child Qiqi is very skilled. You saved her life last time—you must at least come eat a meal at her home so she can properly thank you.”
Something in those words seemed to strike the young man. The person who had originally intended to leave actually followed beside Aunt Zhang and walked with her.
Seeing this, Aunt Zhang quickly tried to get closer. “Calling you ‘comrade’ feels too distant. Young man, what’s your name?”
“Jian Yushu.”
“Oh! What a nice name.” Aunt Zhang looked at the things he was carrying—his hands were full of rare goods.
Several packs of White Rabbit milk candy, malted milk powder that required queuing, and imported chocolate that could only be bought with overseas vouchers.
She couldn’t even read the foreign words on the packaging.
This Xiao Jian might very well be an overseas Chinese.
After turning a corner and walking a bit further, they reached the textile factory residential compound.
At a glance, Aunt Zhang saw that many people were gathered at the entrance of the small courtyard where they lived.
She frowned and quickened her pace.
“Xiao Jian, hurry up. With so many people gathered, could it be that old woman Yang Sufen is here again to bully Qiqi and her mother?”